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Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

I have recently purchased an Orbi system (RBK50). I am wondering what troubleshooting I can do to enhance my network speeds?

 

I have FiOS gigabit, and directly connecting my laptop to the ONT (aka taking the line plugged into my Orbi and plugging it into my router nets me 950/900 speeds. With it connected through the Orbi I am getting 200-400/100-300. This is actually worse than what I was getting from my Nighthawk R7000 (what I was replacing because of slower speeds off the router).

 

Firmware: V2.1.4.16

Parental Controls: Off

Traffic Meter: Off

UPnP: Off

Port Forwarding: Some

DNS: I am using google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4)

* for what its worth, Verizon DNS Seems to move me up about 50mbps consistently, so for now I switched to those.

Model: RBK50| Orbi AC3000 High-Performance Tri-Band WiFi System
Message 1 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Did you enable QoS speed test on the Orbi router? If so, you need to factory reset the router and set up from scratch. This time, don't enable traffic meter, access controls or QoS speed test. 

Also be sure to use wired LAN connected PC for speed testing with a browser. 

WIrless speeds will not achieve 900Mb. Max limits on wireless speeds ranges from 400-600Mb depending upon wireless client design and support. 

Message 2 of 17

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

@FURRYe38, thanks for the reply. I am using a wired connection. I have also never enabled QoS either, and its disabled. With it set to FiOS DNS I am getting about 400/400. Direct connect to ONT the same laptop gets 950/900.

Message 3 of 17
st_shaw
Master

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow


@donalcombright wrote:

 

 (aka taking the line plugged into my Orbi and plugging it into my router nets me 950/900 speeds.


What do you mean by "router" here? Do you have a second router in the mix, besides Orbi, or did you mean to write something else?

 

You should be able to connect Orbi directly to the ONT with no other router invovled: ONT <--> ORBI <--> LAN 

 

Message 4 of 17

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

@FURRYe38, sorry I meant the Orbi.

 

ONT -> Orbi -> Wired Laptop - 200-400 (d)/200-300 (u)

ONT -> Wired Laptop - 950 (d)/900 (u)

 

So, the cables are good (I have tried a few to be safe from Orbi -> Laptop), but the hop from ONT directly to router means to me all my ethernet cables are fine to the Orbi.

Message 5 of 17
toe
Apprentice
Apprentice

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Put your Orbi in AP mode and try.

 

Message 6 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Yes, lets try AP mode.

 

Is the ONT in bridge mode or router mode?

What is the Mfr and model# of th ONT?

 

If the Orbi in AP mode exibits the same thing, I presume maybe the Orbi is faulty and would need to be replaced or RMAd. Others have posted that theyve seen near or at 900Mb on 1Gb services with the orbi so it's doable.

Message 7 of 17

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

The ONT is the outdoor device from FiOS that converts the fiber line to ethernet, it’s not a router. I am not using my Verizon FiOS router at all. Can I still put my Orbi in AP mode?
Message 8 of 17
st_shaw
Master

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

You need a router to use Orbi in AP mode, so no. 

Message 9 of 17
toe
Apprentice
Apprentice

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow


@donalcombright wrote:
The ONT is the outdoor device from FiOS that converts the fiber line to ethernet, it’s not a router. I am not using my Verizon FiOS router at all. Can I still put my Orbi in AP mode?

You'll need something like an EdgeRouter, which can handle the VLAN/PPPoE from FiOS.

 

 

Message 10 of 17
st_shaw
Master

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow


@toe wrote:

@donalcombright wrote:
The ONT is the outdoor device from FiOS that converts the fiber line to ethernet, it’s not a router. I am not using my Verizon FiOS router at all. Can I still put my Orbi in AP mode?

You'll need something like an EdgeRouter, which can handle the VLAN/PPPoE from FiOS.

 

 


I have never heard of FiOS using pppoe or VLANS. I have FiOS and neither of these are used in my area.

 

Message 11 of 17

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

So does this mean the Orbi will not obtain gigabit speeds in router mode? That’s upsetting.
Message 12 of 17
st_shaw
Master

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow


@donalcombright wrote:
So does this mean the Orbi will not obtain gigabit speeds in router mode? That’s upsetting.

No. It just means that you cannot achieve gigabit speeds using whatever test method you are using.  You reported slow speeds with your older router, so the one constant here is your test method is reporting slow speeds.

 

You must use a speed test that utilizes multiple parallel streams to get maximum throughput with Orbi.  I just tested the throughput of my Orbi in router mode and get a 30-second average of 860 Mbps.

 

Put your Orbi back into router mode and repeat the speed test to the following two sites:

1. The verizon FiOS speed test site. https://www.verizon.com/speedtest/

2. The dslreports speed test site.  Make sure you select "Gigabit/Fiber".  http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

 

See what results you get from these test sites.

Message 13 of 17

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

@st_shaw, not 100% sure why my post that I wrote up 3 times got wiped, but here is the short answer as I don't have the exact figures now:

 

ONT -> USB-C ethernet laptop (directly plugged into ONT)

1. SpeedTest: 950/900 (tested about 20 times and works consistently)

 

ONT -> USB-C ethernet laptop (directly plugged into ONT however through the junction box, so basically took the "Internet" plug out of my Orbi and plugged it into my laptop)

1. SpeedTest: 950/900 (tested about 20 times and works consistently)

 

ONT -> Orbi -> USB-C ethernet laptop

1. SpeedTest: 400/400 (about the best I have ever gotten

2. Verizon: 150/900 (tested 5 times, best result given. It timed out 3 times and 1 time I only got 24/800).

3. DSLReports: 800/650 (tested about 5 times, best results given)

 

To me, that means the router is causing something of a bottleneck. Regardless of SpeedTest being good or not, it should be consistent no? So it should not have degraded going through the Orbi.

Message 14 of 17
st_shaw
Master

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow


@donalcombright wrote:

@st_shaw, not 100% sure why my post that I wrote up 3 times got wiped, but here is the short answer as I don't have the exact figures now:

 

ONT -> USB-C ethernet laptop (directly plugged into ONT)

1. SpeedTest: 950/900 (tested about 20 times and works consistently)

 

ONT -> USB-C ethernet laptop (directly plugged into ONT however through the junction box, so basically took the "Internet" plug out of my Orbi and plugged it into my laptop)

1. SpeedTest: 950/900 (tested about 20 times and works consistently)

 

ONT -> Orbi -> USB-C ethernet laptop

1. SpeedTest: 400/400 (about the best I have ever gotten

2. Verizon: 150/900 (tested 5 times, best result given. It timed out 3 times and 1 time I only got 24/800).

3. DSLReports: 800/650 (tested about 5 times, best results given)

 

To me, that means the router is causing something of a bottleneck. Regardless of SpeedTest being good or not, it should be consistent no? So it should not have degraded going through the Orbi.


Thanks.  Your results illustrate a couple points.

 

1.  As I wrote, "You must use a speed test that utilizes multiple parallel streams to get maximum throughput with Orbi."Dslreports uses 32 parallel  streams when you click the Gigabit/Fiber button.  Did you click this button each time? I don't know what the other speed tests do, but it looks like they might use fewer streams, or even one stream.

 

2. You results also may vary with different broswers.  You could try different browsers and use the latest version of the most modern browser you have. Make sure you have a modern computer with a good network card also. You said you have a USB-C laptop.  If you are using a USB dongle, maybe the dongle, or its device driver, is part of the issue.

 

3. Routers do tend to be a bottleneck.  Note that when you test connected to the ONT you are directly connected to the Internet.  You have no router and no firewall in place.  All routers and firewalls must process the packets going through them, and are liable to slow down the connection, depending on how they are configured.  Expect them to get slower as you add more firewall rules.

 

I'm a bit surprised by the Verizon results, but their site says it's in beta.  I don't know what happened to their old speed test.

 

Bottom line: it can be difficult to test a gigabit connection, especially if you go outside your ISP's network. The differences between test sites say more about the sites than your router. Network congestion can cause varying results.  If you get reasonablly consistent results with the Dslreports test, your gear is probably working fine. If you feel like you need more speed you could run Orbi in AP mode behind another router.  I get 940/920 through Orbi in AP mode.

Message 15 of 17
Alfa_conqueror
Aspirant

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Ok so I'm replying because after weeks of not knowing what to do I finally figured it out. I had read somewhere that for some reason, orbi doesn't work well with dmz mode. I thought it made sense because my brother has same setup as I do, same company and all but he wasn't being throttled on orbi. He has a modem that has up passthrough and I have one that has dmz mode. I ordered one with up passthrough but anyways long story short I never got my new modem so o messed with the settings.

Solution: the orbi should not have a dynamic IP address, this is why at initial setup it works and after a few hrs it slows down. The modem gives it a new address because the lease is up. So what I did was give orbi a static IP address and boom, 48 hrsand no slow downs
Model: RBK53| Orbi Router + 2 Satellites Orbi WiFi System
Message 16 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Netgear Orbi Performance Slow

Depending upon your model and Mfr modem, you might check with your ISP regarding it. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/RBK50-Speed-Throttling-Wired-and-Wireless/td-p/1673291/jump-to...

 

Possible problem could be fixed at the modem. 


@Alfa_conqueror wrote:
Ok so I'm replying because after weeks of not knowing what to do I finally figured it out. I had read somewhere that for some reason, orbi doesn't work well with dmz mode. I thought it made sense because my brother has same setup as I do, same company and all but he wasn't being throttled on orbi. He has a modem that has up passthrough and I have one that has dmz mode. I ordered one with up passthrough but anyways long story short I never got my new modem so o messed with the settings.

Solution: the orbi should not have a dynamic IP address, this is why at initial setup it works and after a few hrs it slows down. The modem gives it a new address because the lease is up. So what I did was give orbi a static IP address and boom, 48 hrsand no slow downs

 

Message 17 of 17
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